Policy

As a logistics hub for the research and medicalindustries, we strive to make social contributionsthrough our business activities. By serving as a hub,we are able to link researchers and medicalprofessionals with lab equipment manufacturers fromaround the world that can be difficult to connect tothrough direct transactions. This provides extremelysignificant added value for manufacturers, dealers,and researchers and medical professionals, somethingwe believe is one of our greatest contributions tosociety.To further increase this added value, we arecommitted to the pursuit of what we refer to as threevalues and three qualities. The three values arereputation value, business value, and financial value.The three qualities, which are greatly related tosociety, are product quality, management quality, andemployee quality. In particular, the formation ofemployee quality is something we view as the criticalfoundation that enables corporate growth. No matterhow our social environment changes, there is nochange in the importance of the links between peopleand the trust that binds us. We strive for business thattouches every one with whom we interact. This is whywe constantly evaluate how we can contribute to thepeople engaged in the various battles that take placein the arenas of R&D and medical care. We believe thateach of our employees pursuing our goals with sharedvalues and compassion will help us create a soundcorporate structure.At the foundation of this structure is the development of professional human resources capable of engagingin global markets. We are committed to pursuing thediversity and workstyle reforms that will support thedevelopment of such personnel. By building strongwork teams where the human rights and uniqueness ofeach individual are respected and valued, we willincrease our core competence and create astimulating and motivating corporate culture.

We conduct the AS ONE Career Design Program, aframework for individualized career development topromote growth and spirited contributions to societaldevelopment by each employee.

In new employee RPA training, workers assigned totheir new positions use RPA to create their own workimprovement programs. Later, a company-wide vote isconducted and awards are given to the creators ofprograms recognized for their excellence.Also, the company covers all expenses foremployees who complete online training. Althoughcurrently not possible due to COVID-19, under normalconditions, four employees per year are selected forsix-months of overseas training to promote thedevelopment of global human resources.

To align the vectors of worker motivation and ourMedium-Term Management Plan, since FYE 03/2018we have implemented a worker incentive program thatis based on our level of achievement for the Medium-Term Management Plan. The condition for incentives isthe achievement of the annual net sales and operatingprofit figure outlined for each year of the Medium-TermManagement Plan. When both are achieved,managerial staff are issued Company stock andregular employees are issued cash bonuses.In FYE 03/2021, we achieved goals for both net salesand operating profit, and incentives are allocated.

We conduct employee awareness surveys each year.We are maintaining a “Very high” rating on the four-tierscale for employee satisfaction.

We believe in the need to develop business fromvarious perspectives, and as such we proactivelywork to secure a diverse range of human resources.At AS ONE nonconsolidated, whose main target is theJapanese domestic market, we proactively engage inthe hiring of foreign nationals and mid-careerprofessionals. We also believe in the importance ofwomen’s engagement in the workplace, andimplement various programs to create a comfortablework environment, including by providing childcareleave, reduced work hours, a welcome back program,telecommuting, and leadership training for women.We are proactively providing support towardsachieving our FYE 03/2025 goals.

Continuous contribution to the SDGs through the supply of R&D instruments

AS ONE plays an important role in achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by supporting research and development activities in many fields as a supplier of scientific instruments and other equipment.

There was a brief period when Japan faced a shortageof medical PPE. During that period, we gathered some70 company volunteers who, over the course of severaldays, made nearly 2,500 sets of basic PPE by hand tobe distributed to medical worksites across the country.

Activities to develop the skills of children

On August 1, 2019, as part of its social contribution activities, AS ONE hosted the Children’s Science Laboratory at the summer science event held at King Sky front, Kawasaki City’s open innovation hub for life and environmental science. AS ONE’s nearby Tonomachi Solution Research Laboratory provided 30+ children with an opportunity to have fun with science by teaching them how to make their ownunique slime.

We use shareholder perks to make contributions to theHatachi Fund. The Hatachi Fund is a foundation that provides20 years of continuous support to children who were newbornsat the time of the Tohoku Earthquake to ensure they reach their20th birthday. Through September 2020, we receiveddonations totaling 1,868,000 yen from 462 shareholders.

Supporting small and midsize companies, key players for economic growth

AS ONE is helping small and midsize companies to grow as it expands the horizon of business opportunities. We use catalogs and the Internet to sell products supplied by roughly 3,500 suppliers internationally. At the same time, we provide about 4,300 dealers in Japan with an opportunity to sell a broad range of products from overseas suppliers.

The Tonomachi Solution Research Laboratory, our lab forcontracted research work, provides space, equipment, andmaterials for Course I of the fundamental cell culturetechnology course. This course is part of the cell culturespecialist certification program run by the Japanese TissueCulture Association, which promotes the standardization ofcell cultures.

Sustaining supply via BCP

As a company with a social mission to support medical and research institutions, we continued our corporate activities during the state of emergency in accordance with our business continuity plan, which included teleworking, while preventing the spread of infection. We are working to expedite the procurement process and securing new purchasing channels in anticipation of the second and third waves of COVID-19 in order to fulfill our responsibility to ensure a continuous supply for health care workers. S

Participating in the launch of the Organization for Advanced Healthcare Innovation

AS ONE participated in the establishment of the Organization for Advanced Healthcare Innovation. It works toward putting into practice the concept of the International Hub for Healthcare Innovation, an Osaka-based facility where medical institutions providing state-of-the-art health care, related R&D ventures, and support organizations will operate under one roof. When opened, it will be the first such facility in Japan.

Protecting greenery for the future

We use proceeds from catalog recycling for forest revitalization projects.Working in cooperation with the non-profit Environmental Relations Research Institute, we planted 450 trees at the “Science Forest” in Osaki city, Miyagi prefecture in 2015. The Science Forest sign at this site includes the names of the primary dealers that helped collect used catalogs.

As support for artists with disabilities, we display artfrom the Pasona Heartful Inc.'s Art Mura in the freespace of our headquarters building. The art providesatmosphere in the free space where employees interactand take breaks.

Fundamental Philosophy

Along with embodying our management philosophy ofInnovation and Creation, we also strive to further justify ourexistence by pursuing customer satisfaction.

Quality Policy

· Strengthen comprehensive services related to productprovision to secure customer satisfaction.

· Enhance product selection and provide quality products tomeet diverse customer needs and expectations.

· Enhance product planning and development capabilities,and work to increase quality.· Adhere to the laws, regulations, and other requirementsapplicable to the Company.

· Make continuous improvements to the quality managementsystem (QMS).

As a wholesaler, we handle products from variousmanufacturers. We also offer original products designedand planned in-house as well as products importeddirectly from overseas. With in-house products, wecarefully evaluate whether or not we should carry aproduct. With imported products, we apply a strictquality assurance structure and take responsibility formanufactured goods. We have acquired the internationalstandard ISO 9001 certification and designated adirector to oversee our QMS. This creates a companywidestructure for QMS that extends beyond the QualityAssurance Department.All divisions, from the Sales Division to the ProductDevelopment Division, play a role in quality. However,the Quality Assurance Department in particular overseesquality management and inspections for in-housedeveloped products and imported products, supplierassessments and supplier quality enlightenmentactivities, and issues various certifications to users. TheQuality Assurance Department also serves assecretariat for the QMS and holds regular monthlyquality meetings to report and deliberate on issuesrelated to the QMS.